Exercise 3 (5 points)
The purpose of this exercise is to examine, in different cases, whether the altitudes of a tetrahedron are concurrent, that is, to study the existence of an intersection point of its four altitudes. We recall that in a tetrahedron MNPQ, the altitude from M is the line passing through M perpendicular to the plane (NPQ).
Part A: Study of particular casesWe consider a cube ABCDEFGH. We admit that the lines (AG), (BH), (CE) and (DF), called ``main diagonals'' of the cube, are concurrent.
- We consider the tetrahedron ABCE. a. Specify the altitude from E and the altitude from C in this tetrahedron. b. Are the four altitudes of the tetrahedron ABCE concurrent?
- We consider the tetrahedron ACHF and work in the coordinate system $(\mathrm{A} ; \overrightarrow{\mathrm{AB}}, \overrightarrow{\mathrm{AD}}, \overrightarrow{\mathrm{AE}})$. a. Verify that a Cartesian equation of the plane (ACH) is: $x - y + z = 0$. b. Deduce that (FD) is the altitude from F of the tetrahedron ACHF. c. By analogy with the previous result, specify the altitudes of the tetrahedron ACHF from the vertices $\mathrm{A}$, $\mathrm{C}$ and H respectively. Are the four altitudes of the tetrahedron ACHF concurrent?
In the rest of this exercise, a tetrahedron whose four altitudes are concurrent will be called an orthocentric tetrahedron.
Part B: A property of orthocentric tetrahedraIn this part, we consider a tetrahedron MNPQ whose altitudes from vertices M and N intersect at a point K. The lines (MK) and (NK) are therefore perpendicular to the planes (NPQ) and (MPQ) respectively.
- a. Justify that the line (PQ) is perpendicular to the line (MK); we admit likewise that the lines (PQ) and (NK) are perpendicular. b. What can we deduce from the previous question regarding the line (PQ) and the plane (MNK)? Justify the answer.
- Show that the edges [MN] and [PQ] are perpendicular.
Thus, we obtain the following property: If a tetrahedron is orthocentric, then its opposite edges are perpendicular in pairs.
Part C: ApplicationIn an orthonormal coordinate system, we consider the points: $$\mathrm { R } ( - 3 ; 5 ; 2 ) , \mathrm { S } ( 1 ; 4 ; - 2 ) , \mathrm { T } ( 4 ; - 1 ; 5 ) \quad \text { and } \mathrm { U } ( 4 ; 7 ; 3 ) .$$ Is the tetrahedron RSTU orthocentric? Justify.